"He wanted me to have a new nose," Niese told ESPN.com. "So he offered to pay for it. I was just like, 'All right.' Then it turned into seeing doctors and to getting it fixed."

Beltran was shipped off to the San Francisco Giants, but Niese apparently decided to heed his former teammate's advice and went ahead to schedule the procedure during the offseason. It's unclear who will end up footing the bill, but the surgery has apparently had the upside of aiding Niese's breathing.

"[The new nose has] helped a lot with my running," Niese said. "It helps with my working out. As far as the mound, I'm not sure."

While the Mets aren't expected to contend for a championship this season, at the very least they continue to remain interesting.